(Radio Iowa) – FEMA is forwarding two MILLION dollars to repair flood damage to the city library in Rock Valley and the Rock Valley First Reformed Church is getting 370-thousand from FEMA for building repairs. Rock Valley officials say they may soon learn about long-awaited FEMA funding to buyout residential properties swamped by flooding nearly two years.
Tom Van Maanen is Rock Valley’s city administrator. “Our large buyout project was submitted for congressional review on April 26 and that’s a normal 30 day window for their review and then it gets sent back to Region 7 of FEMA in Kansas City,” Van Maanen says. “At that point, the project will be obligated.”
Van Maanen says he’s cautiously optimistic that approval is coming soon. “You’re always a little careful because you don’t control when paperwork actually occurs,” but we do know we are at the final steps and the news that people have been waiting for is just that much closer.”
The project is estimated to cost around 36 MILLION dollars — including buying and demolishing flooded homes in Rock Valley and converting the property into green space.
